Lovelight is played numerous times in this practice session.
Notes
(1) Jerry: "It should be loud because that's the melody you know. It should be out over the others."
(2) Jerry: "Let's go over it a time or two and get the arrangement. Hey Pig, do you want to do two verses and then into that uh drum business? Well let's, let's decide that because that, that's uh..." Phil: "Bring some more grub man." Jerry: "Ok that would be the stomp because..."
(3) How many verses do you want to go through on Lovelight? I think two, two and then a drum thing. And then after, after the bridge come on back and start get back into Lovelight. Play it man. And you'll have to play organ too. Give us a signal then, at the end. At the end, go back into the regular bar solo. Go back into the regular again. Go back into a regular verse at the end and go 'shine, shine, shine, let it shine'.
Notes:
Source #1: 7th gen cassette (stereo) was used for takes 2-14 (tracks 2 through 16).
Source #2: unknown gen cassette (mono) was used for takes 1 and 15 (tracks 1 and 17).
Source #2 was of lower quality, but had an extra take at the beginning and another at the end,
The take numbers are not spoken on the recording, but are listed for reference.
This was commonly traded on cassette, dated as "11/19/67". The 45 minute segment has never circulated in digital format till now, with the exception of take 6 which is part of:
This Lovelight practice session is now labelled as gd67-xx-xx. There are several reasons to conclude it was made before November 19, 1967 - in fact before August 5, 1967 (currently the earliest known live Lovelight):
- Most importantly, from the talking between takes it is clear they are working out the arrangement. Maybe this the first time they are playing it?
- Definitely only one drummer
- Pigpen sings it a bit differently; in fact he only sings the first verse, over and over.
- The band doesn't have any backing vocals except the "let it shine" bit, which was dropped & never appears live.
- The guitar parts are much simpler - on 8/5/67 they're a lot more complex & bouncy.
- They don't have a transition after the first verse. By 8/5/67 they have a smoother drum transition.
- Garcia doesn't have his soloing down for this song at all, and doesn't seem to have worked out any part other than the chords.
...
Something I'd definitely listen to if I had nothing else. It's rehearsals. As usual at GD rehearsals, I wish I could hear what they're talking about...